Turning Point
by Sailor Elf
Summary: When Setsuna gets word of Sarlutous’ existence, she springs into action to save the Inner Soldiers from one of their best friends. In the process, she brings about much confusion as to why the Soldier has to be stopped.
1. Uneasy Feelings

Disclaimer - None of the Senshi or Tuxedo are mine. Tylaxin and Jelliscan are mine though.

Summary – When Setsuna gets word of Salutous' existence, she springs into action to save the Inner Senshi from one of their best friends. In the process, she brings about much confusion as to why the Senshi has to be stopped.

00000

Turning Point

Ami hurried down the street, hoping to catch up with her friends. She never noticed the figure stepping out from around the corner. The two smacked into each other and fell to the ground.

"I'm so sorry," Ami managed to say.

She stood up and glanced over to the other person. She instantly recognized the person and the smile that crossed her face.

"Tylaxin!" she cried.

"Don't worry about me Ami. Are you fine? Any damage?" she wondered.

Ami shook her head as she helped her friend to her feet. Tylaxin dusted herself off as Ami laughed over the situation.

"It's been a while since we've seen you Tylaxin," Amy mused.

"I've been busy. But by what I've heard that you haven't really needed my help anyway. At least that what it seems like to me," Tylaxin replied.

Ami appeared confused as Tylaxin gave a laugh. The older Scout motioned for to her to follow before beginning to clarify what she meant.

"I do believe that someone by the name of Mamaru explained it to me," Tylaxin replied.

Ami laughed for she should have known what was coming. They headed down the street, unaware they had three sets of eyes watching them. Setsuna stepped once in the direction Ami and Tylaxin had gone in as Haruka and Michiru stood silently behind her.

"What is the matter Setsuna? Ever since you arrived, you've seemed worried about something," wondered Michiru.

It appeared as if the keeper of time didn't hear her, continuing to watch the two as they moved out of view. Setsuna remained silent, unable to shake the feeling the back of her mind was giving her.

"I've passed Ami's friend several times already and I keep getting strange vibes from her. Don't tell me you haven't felt them as well," Setsuna finally replied.

Haruka and Michiru looked at each other, slightly confused as Setsuna turned around. She narrowed her eyes, wondering what they were thinking.

"I don't know about their friend but the one I'm more worried about is Sailor Sarlutous," Haruka mentioned.

"Who?" wondered Setsuna, not sure she heard the name correctly.

"You never heard of Sarlutous? I shouldn't be surprised for we hadn't either. If we hadn't seen her with our own eyes, we wouldn't have believed it. When we first met her, we thought she was Sailor Saturn," Michiru replied.

Setsuna was in slight disbelief over what she was recently told. She turned away from them, placing a hand on her chin.

"What's wrong? You have heard of her, haven't you? Is there something about her we need to know?" demanded Haruka.

Setsuna gave a small sigh, barely moving her head to look Haruka and Michiru in their faces.

"I admit, I have heard about her but we should be careful when we deal with her for we don't know her well enough. She has great power that could be dangerous," Setsuna replied.

She began to walk away from the two, leaving behind two very confused Senshi.

"I should not go into detail but I will tell you that the next time we see her, be very careful in how you deal with her," Setsuna warned them.

The other two Soldiers were shocked at the request before Michiru stepped up to Setsuna and stopped her.

"You have got to be joking. She's helped us many times when we needed it. She even said that she was defender of the Inner Scouts and yet sworn to help us. Why would she say that if she wasn't?" she wondered.

"You don't understand and I know what you're going to say. That unless I tell you, you can't possibly understand. It's not what you think and you're going to have to wait to find out," Setsuna replied.

She walked away from the two, leaving two very befuddled Senshi behind.

00000

Rei growled as she, Minako and Makoto waited for Usagi and Ami. The dark haired Senshi was becoming very impatient with each passing moment.

"She is always late!" Rei yelled.

"Don't be so upset Rei. Heck, even Ami isn't here yet. Now that's unusual for her. I wonder what's taking her so long," Minako put in.

Rei remained quiet, not wanting to listen to her two friends. They soon heard a noise at the door and they looked to see Ami and Usagi walking into the room. The three soon noticed another figure behind her.

"You can blame Ami's tardiness on me. Just please tell me you haven't forgotten me already," Tylaxin told them.

The eyes of the three Scouts lit up in joy to see their friend again. Stars were apparent in Minako's eyes as the three stood up. They had all been amazed by Tylaxin and her powers from the day they first met.

"Listen, you don't have to get all starry-eyed. I'm a normal person, just like any of you or Mamaru," Tylaxin told them.

"Sure you are Tylaxin. If you consider being a defender of the planet something normal," Usagi smirked.

Tylaxin gave a gesture that said 'you got me' as Usagi narrowed her eyes.

'_Something's going on here. It seems as if she's hiding something. I just hope she doesn't have anything planned with my boyfriend. If she is, she's going to get a mouthful. I'm not stupid. I saw they was she looked at him,'_ she thought to herself.

00000

Setsuna placed a hand on her chin as she continued her way down the street. She thought about the Sailor that the other two had told her earlier.

"I have to find Sarlutous. Little do any of them know but she could be a threat to us all. Her powers have always been unpredictable. I can only hope I can find her in time," Setsuna quietly told herself.

She briefly stopped wondering how to find Sarlutous since she could be anywhere in town. Setsuna suddenly began to hurry down the street.

'_I just hope I'm not too late,'_ she thought to herself.

TBC…


	2. Revealing News

Mamaru was reading a book as he headed down the street towards his apartment. He glanced up to see it was Setsuna. Mamaru saw the apprehensive look on her face and he became instantly worried.

"What's wrong? I've never seen you this bothered," he wondered.

"I have to locate someone. I was hoping you could help me find her," she replied.

"Sure. Who would that be now? Anyone I know?" he said.

"Yes, you do know her. She goes by the name of Sailor Sarlutous," Setsuna told him.

Mamaru gave her a strange look, wondering why the Keeper of Time would be after someone like her.

"I'll explain later but right now, I need to talk to her. It's imperative that I do," she replied.

Mamaru shrugged his shoulders scratching his head, unsure what exactly to tell her.

"Even though you're also a Sailor Senshi, I don't think she'd appreciate me telling you where to find her," he finally said.

Setsuna gave an exasperated sigh before she began to turn around. She felt a hand grab her elbow and she turned her head enough to see Mamaru with a concerned look on his face.

"What is this all about? Has she done something to upset?" he wondered.

"Not yet but she will," was the reply he got.

He watched as the Senshi walked away. For an extremely rare time in her life, she was indeed hoping that the enemy would attack and that Sarlutous would come out into the open.

00000

Tylaxin carefully watched the people stroll in front of her as she sat on the bench. Many thoughts were going through her mind: who the next target was, Neptune, Uranus and why she had she had this strange feeling down in her gut. Her mother soon came across her and placed herself next to her.

"Tylaxin, is everything all right?" Jelliscan asked.

"I'll be fine once I get all these thoughts out of my head. Hopefully, that will be very soon," Tylaxin replied.

Jelliscan turned her stare towards the other people, wondering what was going through their minds as the battle raged on behind the scenes. Neither of them saw the young man heading towards them.

"Tylaxin, Jelliscan, I need to talk to you!" called a familiar voice.

The two finally saw Mamaru standing in front of them, a desperate look on his face. Tylaxin stood up, a worried stare aimed directly at him.

"What's wrong?" she wondered.

"I'm here to find out what the heck you did to anger Sailor Pluto. She seems like she's out to stop you from doing something catastrophic," he replied.

Tylaxin was very confused with this news. She scratched her head in bewilderment, wondering why the Keeper of Time would want to be after her.

"I've barely had any contact with Pluto. I don't know what I could have possibly done to incur her wrath," she replied.

Mamaru couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen between Sarlutous and the Outer Senshi soon enough.

"I'd be careful then. I don't want to see the two of you get hurt over a simple misunderstanding," he warned them.

Jelliscan and Tylaxin both nodded their heads, unaware that a pair of eyes was watching them from afar.

Setsuna carefully watched as Tylaxin stood up and continued to converse with Mamaru as they head down the street. She was unable to get close enough to overhear what they were saying but she narrowed eyes at Tylaxin.

'_She just might be the one I'm looking for,'_ she thought to herself. _'I'd better follow her to see if she gives me any clues.'_

The three soon parted ways and Setsuna quickly followed Tylaxin's footsteps. The multi-planet Senshi felt eyes watching her from everywhere and she couldn't explain to herself why. After several uneasy moments passed, she decided to turn around only to find Setsuna standing directly behind her.

"Who are you and what do you want?" demanded Tylaxin.

"I know who you are and you must know that you're a danger to your mother and friends," she quietly said.

"What?" the reply immediately came.

Setsuna glanced around before pulling her into a nearby alleyway. She led Tylaxin towards a nearby park where there was no one in sight.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Tylaxin snorted.

"I just saw you talking to Mamaru. I was recently talking to him and I figured he would warn you about me," Setsuna replied.

Tylaxin narrowed her eyes as Setsuna pulled out what appeared to be a small stick.

'_She has a transformation stick! She must be Sailor Pluto!'_ Tylaxin screamed to herself.

"Pluto Star Power Makeup!" cried Setsuna.

Pluto advanced towards Tylaxin, Garter Rod in hand. Tylaxin backed away from the Scout, unsure what Pluto had planned

"Now transform, Sailor Sarlutous. You cannot be allowed to live this charade any longer," Pluto yelled at her.

"What have I ever done to you? What charade are you talking about?" demanded Tylaxin.

She placed a hand over her mouth, realizing what she had said. Pluto smirked for she knew she had the right person now.

"Fine then Sailor Pluto, let's do it," Tylaxin told her.

Pluto watched as Tylaxin pulled a transformation stick and held it forward. Old memories came back to the oldest Soldier as she stared at the transformation stick.

"Planet Star Power Make up!" Tylaxin cried.

Sailor Sarlutous stepped towards Pluto, who held her Garnet Rod towards the advancing Soldier.

"Well, what now?" wondered Sarlutous.

"I have to slow you down for you posses a power which you do not understand," Pluto replied.

A shocked look appeared on Sarlutous' face before Pluto lifted her Garnet Rod.

"Deadly Scream!" cried Pluto.

"Pluto Ice Crystals Freeze!" Sarlutous replied.

The two powers met each other with an intensity that they both had to back off. Pluto quickly looked around to see if Sarlutous had vanished but soon found that she hadn't. She narrowed her eyes as the two began to advance on each other.

00000

Mamaru headed down the street, the many thoughts and theories going through his mind about what were going on when he heard a loud BOOM! coming from nearby.

"Looks like Setsuna followed me and I led her straight to Tylaxin," he muttered.

He hurried towards the scene, inwardly hoping he wasn't going to be too late.

TBC…


	3. Countdown to Disaster

Tuxedo Kamen jumped from building to building, eager to know what was happening between the two Sailor Senshi.

'_I just hope I'm not too late. There's … something … about Tylaxin that makes me want to confide in her,'_ he thought.

He arrived on the scene to find Pluto and Sarlutous standing several feet apart. The Keeper of Time glanced over her shoulder as Neptune and Uranus appeared on the scene and helped surround Sarlutous.

"There's nothing you can do to stop us. What I can tell all of you is that Sarlutous' powers are unstable. She has to be slowed down or else her powers could destroy many lives as we know it," Pluto explained.

"But the others have mastered their powers within moments of getting them. Why should Sailor Sarlutous be any different?" Tuxedo Kamen protested.

"That may be so but none of them have as much power as she does. Do you honestly believe drawing power from three planets is easy? Sarlutous obviously does. She might have lucky so far but even that will run out eventually," Pluto explained.

Uranus stepped forward, preparing to attack when Tuxedo Kamen stepped in between the trio and Sarlutous. The multi planet Senshi was surprised at the nobility of the former prince and future king before stepping around him to face the three once again.

"Why are you doing this? You barely know me and it appears none of you remember me anyway," she wondered.

"I hope to explain to you later," he told her.

"Cut the chatter! Get of the way Tuxedo Kamen, this isn't your battle," Uranus called over to him.

The masked man stayed by her side, in no rush to go anywhere, anytime soon. Pluto stepped forward, unimpressed by his actions.

"If you do not step aside, then you will suffer along with her," Pluto warned him.

"I'll take that chance," Tuxedo replied.

"Deadly Scream!"

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

The three cries came out of nowhere, making Tuxedo Kamen's reflexes kick into gear. He grabbed Sarlutous by the waist and jumped upwards. The three Outer Sailors searched for the duo only to find them nowhere to be seen.

"Blast it! We're going to have to wait then!" Pluto cursed.

"What you said about her powers does make sense. Is there someway to reason with her instead of trying to take her down like this?" Neptune called to her.

Pluto didn't respond as both Neptune and Uranus stepped over to her. The blonde's patience was slowing growing thin when it came to the subject of the newer Sailor.

"I have to agree with Neptune. Maybe we can find her and we can talk this out instead of trying to kill each other," Uranus sighed.

"But you have to understand one thing though. She's like none of us. You said so yourself: when you told me that she protected the Inner Senshi but sworn to help us. That makes her an outcast in either group," Pluto explained.

00000

Mamaru hissed as Tylaxin placed the bandage on his arm. She gave a sigh, unsure how to thank him for what he had done.

"Why did you do it?" she finally asked.

She tried to make eye contact but found he was staring in the other direction. She stopped what she was doing and climbed to her feet. She stepped towards the window and stared out across the city.

"You want to help but you do have a small fear that I will lose control of my powers. Either that or it's the idea those three will do just about anything to stop me. I would be lying if I said I did not fear that," Tylaxin wondered.

Mamaru gave a small sigh before nodding his head. He turned his stare towards her and placed a hand on his forehead.

"There's something about you, Tylaxin that makes me want to trust you completely. I can't explain but it's always been there since the moment I met you," Mamaru explained.

"Maybe it has something to do with the past, from the Silver Millennium. I even can't recall everything that happened but I know something's missing. It could be whatever past we had together," she remarked.

Mamaru began to quietly chuckle as Tylaxin stood up and began to take the first-aid supplies to the washroom.

"Well, whatever past it was, I know it wasn't a romantic one. You've already got that nailed down with Usagi," she called to him.

Mamaru gave a small smile as a knock filled his ears. He carefully stepped up to the door and opened it up to reveal Chibi-Usa. She instantly took notice of his injuries and gasped. She hurried towards him, trying to pull him towards a chair.

"What happened? Who did this to you? You should be resting!" she quickly demanded of him.

He allowed her to lead him towards the chair and he sat before ruffling her hair.

"Don't worry about me Chibi-usa, I'm fine," he quietly told her.

"Who's that Mamaru?" a voice came from the adjoining room.

The pink-haired girl narrowed her eyes in anger as she watched Tylaxin step into view. She stopped in her tracks once she saw the youngest Senshi. A growl emitted from Chibi-usa once she saw Tylaxin

"You did this to him? How dare you! We trusted you and you betrayed us!" she yelled at her.

"Wait, you don't understand! Please let me explain!" Tylaxin protested.

Chibi-usa stomped towards Tylaxin, who began to back away from them. Mamaru tried to hold back the young child but it was useless as Tylaxin dropped the supplies she was holding and ran for the door. Chibi-usa followed her long enough to stand outside the door.

"I will find you!" she cried.

"You've got it all wrong Chibi-usa!" Mamaru angrily told her.

The pink-haired girl turned around to stare at him, apparent that she was not going to listen to him. The anger in her eyes said it all to him: that her trust in Tylaxin and therefore Sarlutous was completely gone.

'_She'll have to find out sooner or later, whether it is from me or later from Pluto,'_ he thought to himself.

00000

Tylaxin rushed out of the building, breathless as she hurried down the street. She soon stopped and turned around to stare at Mamaru's apartment as she caught her breath.

"This is bad, very bad. The Outer Senshi want to stop me and now the Inner Senshi will want my head unless Mamaru has a chance to tell them what really happened," she whispered to herself.

TBC…


	4. Misgivings

"She did what? You can't be serious! Tylaxin couldn't have attacked my Mamaru!" Usagi cried out.

"It's true for I saw it myself! He was hurt and she was there in his apartment! It had to be her!" Chibi-usa growled.

Ami glanced between the other Senshi, unsure what to think of this news. She had bonded with Tylaxin the quickest and therefore knew her the best. Ami never knew her to attack someone without warning.

"There has to be some explanation to this. I know her too well and she wouldn't do something like this. Besides, she could have helping him," Ami told them.

Chibi-usa burned her stare into Ami, in mild disbelief to what she was saying. The pink-haired girl stormed towards the older Scout.

"You and I certainly differ on that. I say we all have to pick a side. I haven't trusted Tylaxin since the moment I met her. There's _something_ about her that doesn't make any sense," Chibi-usa replied.

Makoto and Minako glanced between each other as Rei began to step over towards the temple, wondering if she would get any vibes to which idea to trust. She felt as if something else was involved, someone that could not be explained.

"We should really ask them what happened. This could be a total misunderstanding," Ami piped up.

Minako glanced between Ami and Chibi-usa, unsure who to believe. Usagi balled up her fist as an angry look appeared on her face.

"I'm with Chibi-usa. She's been eye-balling my boyfriend since the beginning and she's planning to take him away from both of us," she snorted.

"I have to say I'm with Ami. There's something more going on here than what we realize. We shouldn't really judge anybody before we know everything," Rei called out to them.

The four glanced towards Minako and Makoto, expecting them to choose a side right then and there. Both were unsure what to say.

"Well, I've always seen her as a friend. She's been willing to help when she can," Makoto sheepishly said.

"I have to agree with Chibi-usa and Usagi. Something's not right about her," Minako retorted.

The two stared at each other for a long moment before joining their rightful sides. Ami knew that this was turning into a Sailor showdown.

00000

Tylaxin looked out from underneath the hood she was wearing as she stood, staring at Mamaru's apartment. She trusted him but knew she couldn't go confide in him after what happened with Chibi-usa.

In fact, there she no one she could go talk to.

The Outer Senshi were after her hide, the Inner Senshi were probably changing their opinion about her and her house would probably be watched by both parties.

"Who am I going to talk to now that everyone's after me? Am I that dangerous that I can't simply be around anyone?" she wondered out loud.

She turned around and began to head down the street when she saw a familiar figure jump from the building. Tylaxin knew it was Tuxedo Kamen and that he was beginning to search for her, despite his injuries.

'_I wish I could reveal myself but I don't want to see you hurt anymore,'_ she thought to herself.

She started to hurry away before she was found when she ran into somebody. The figure fell onto the ground and looked up at her. Tylaxin helped her back up to her feet.

"I am so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," she apologized.

"It's all right, I'll be fine," the girl softly replied.

Tylaxin narrowed her eyes as she looked over the young girl. Bells were going off in the back of her mind, telling her something was wrong but that something was also right at the same time and she was inwardly conflicted with the feeling.

"What's your name, kid?" wondered Tylaxin.

"I am Hotaru. I live nearby with my father. I am just heading home from school," the girl softly replied.

"That's a nice name. My name is Tylaxin. Mind if I walk you home? These streets just got a little meaner," Tylaxin offered.

Hotaru gave a small nod before they began to head down the street. Along the way, Tylaxin seemed almost - relaxed - with the younger girl, as if they had known each other for years. Unexpectedly, Tylaxin sensed something was amiss. She placed a hand on Hotaru's shoulder and they both stopped immediately.

"Wait a moment, I sense something," Tylaxin quietly said.

She glanced around the area before taking notice of a familiar figure walking down the street towards them. Her eyes bulged as she placed a hand in front of Hotaru.

"Hotaru, get out of here," Tylaxin told her.

The younger female glanced at her with curious eyes, wondering why she meant that. Tylaxin turned and pushed Hotaru down the street.

"Go! I can't see someone like you get hurt because of me!" Tylaxin yelled at her.

00000

Setsuna was trying to read a book as she walked down the street but everything else was bothering her. The idea that the mixed Sailor Senshi was walking around the city like a time bomb waiting to go off bothered her deeply.

Who was she trying to kid? It scared the hell out of her.

Setsuna glanced down a nearby street to see someone trying to get out of her sight. She thought she recognized the woman as Tylaxin. Her eyes widened as she realized that it was indeed her. She hurried down the street, hoping to catch with her.

'_I just hope I'm not too late. She needs to be stopped and soon,'_ she thought.

00000

Tylaxin hurried down an alleyway, praying that she hadn't been seen by the eldest Scout. She soon found herself coming face to face yet again with Sailor Pluto. Tylaxin gave an exasperated sigh as she allowed her shoulders slump slightly.

"Haven't we been through this enough already, Setsuna? I'm supposedly dangerous and I have plans to completely disappear," she asked.

"It's not that simple Tylaxin. No matter where you go, you're a threat. Your powers are on the verge of going out of control and as far as I know, there is no way to manage them," Pluto explained.

Tylaxin stepped forward, transforming into Sarlutous as she did so. A scream emitted from a nearby street, catching both of their attentions. They glanced to see a daimon running down the street, towards them. It immediately stopped once it saw them. It began to back up in order to run away when Sarlutous prepared to attack. Pluto immediately noticed and tried to stop her.

"No!" she cried.

"Saturn's Fire Ring…" started Sarlutous.

Before she could complete her attack, the intense power built up in front of her and exploded. Pluto watched in horror as the Soldier fell backwards onto the ground. The ends of Sarlutous' hair had been singed and there was a look of pain on her face. Pluto took care of the daimon before looking back towards the other Soldier, who now had a look of fear crossing her face.

"What do you propose now?" wondered Sarlutous.

TBC…


	5. An Explanation

The two Senshi quickly moved through the alleyways of the city, hoping to make their way to the forest sitting outside of the city. Sarlutous couldn barely look over in Pluto's direction over what recently happened.

That and the fact she was right.

Pluto knew there was a tension now between the two of them, one that was noticeably absent just a few minutes earlier. Both were hoping that none of the others would find them before they hit the outskirts of town.

"Pluto, how did you know?" Sarlutous finally piped up.

"How did I know what?" she wanted to confirm.

Sarlutous hesitated and the two finally stopped right outside the city. Pluto suspected she knew what was coming but she was ready for anything.

"That my powers were ready to go out of control. I mean, no one else even considered the idea," she finally asked.

Pluto carefully thought over her words for she knew they would impact the upcoming series of events. She softened her features as she lifted her Rod and stared at it.

"I was there when you received your powers from Uranus, Saturn and I. The memories are very clear," Pluto finally said.

She motioned for the younger senshi to follow, which she did. They began to make their way into the forest, with Pluto deciding how to continue.

"I'm sure you remember about the Silver Millennium. It was one of those rare times for Saturn to be in such a fine mood and when you asked to represent Earth in the Princess' court, she was eager to help out as much as she could, as were Uranus and I," Pluto said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sarlutous protested, waving her arms. "I was from Earth? I wasn't raised on the moon?"

Pluto shook her head, raising her glance enough to see the sun slowly diminishing from the sky. She began to run again and Sarlutous quickly followed, who appeared more curious than ever. A question quickly rose on her lips and soon found that it was unable to hold it back.

"Why would you help someone like me?" Sarlutous finally asked.

"At the time, and still even now, we needed someone to keep an eye on the princess and her court. Most of us agreed that you were the best choice to share our powers with since you were so eager. The queen helped a great deal with the power of the g_inzuishō._ The downside of it all was that even though the powers were able to be fused together into one senshi, it could not be contained as easily. It had taken you many months of near isolation to get the power under some semblance of control," Pluto explained.

She stopped outside a cave and transformed out of her sailor uniform, with Sarlutous following close behind. Setsuna lifted her Garter Rod towards the younger woman, who gently grasped it.

"Allow me to show when you first received your powers. You will be able to see what I witnessed," Setsuna told her.

Long buried memories began to fill Tylaxin's mind. The mental trip down memory lane made its way back to the moon and she could see a younger version of herself standing before Queen Serenity. Uranus, Pluto and Saturn were all there, standing around them. A ball of cloudy light sat in Serenity's outstretched hand.

"Are you truly prepared for this? This journey will not be easy, protecting my daughter and her court. You must also understand that should the Outer Senshi need your help, you have to answer their call," Serenity asked her.

The young Tylaxin nodded her head and gently grasped the ball from the queen's hand. The power enveloped her and she fell backwards onto the ground almost immediately. Tylaxin knew that her younger self was now nervous for the immense power was quickly threatening to overflow. The three Senshi present took defensive stances, prepared for what was to come next.

"So you see Tylaxin, it was never easy to get them under control. Near the end, before Beryl attacked this universe, you finally did have control over the powers, but the thought was at the back of your mind every single day that they could get out of hand. Now it's not that simple. You don't use them all the time and you still don't remember everything, just like the rest," Setsuna told her.

Tylaxin didn't say anything. She was unsure what to say now for it was now certain that everything Setsuna was saying was indeed true.

"I can't go back. I'm just as much of a danger to them as I am to myself," Tylaxin barely said before glancing back towards Setsuna. "What do I do now?"

"For the moment, stay away from the city. You wouldn't want your Saturn powers to put a building on fire," Setsuna suggested.

She turned and left the cave, leaving Tylaxin wonder where everything was going now.

00000

Mercury ran down the streets, with Jupiter and Mars close behind her, trying to find any hide or hair of their missing friend. So far, they had found nothing. Jupiter turned towards her friend and gave a worried look.

"It looks like we're not going to find her, Mercury. She could be anywhere by now," she said.

Mercury turned her stare towards the ground but didn't say anything. She didn't want to admit that the search was becoming futile.

"A few more minutes," Mercury protested.

"It's no use Mercury. We've been searching for hours now and we're exhausted. We're not going to find her. As much as I want to help her too, there's no more we can do right now," Mars told her.

Both Jupiter and Mars slowed and stopped as Mercury began to continue. She halted herself, turning to face her friends.

"We're not giving up in finding the truth, we just need a break. Both for us and trying to find her," Jupiter agreed.

Mercury's determined look softened, inwardly agreeing that the search was turning into a dead end. She began to walk back to the others when a familiar voice called at them. They glanced down the street to see Sailor Pluto, Garter Rod in hand.

"Pluto, what's wrong?" wondered Mars.

"Nothing that's not already being taking care of. Listen to me carefully for I'm not going to repeat this. Sailor Sarlutous is going to be temporarily incapacitated. Her powers are no longer under her control and she must be alone in order not to hurt anyone. Leave her be and everything will be fine," Pluto explained.

The three Soldiers growled as a sense of responsibility to their friend stirred up within them. They all took defensive stances as they stared at their fellow senshi.

"What have you done to her?" demanded Mercury.

"I have done nothing to harm your friend Sailor Mercury. Give up this search now unless you all want to perish," Pluto told them.

Before anyone could answer, a loud explosion was heard in the distance. The four senshi looked in the direction it came from before glancing at each other. They immediately began to make their way towards the site.

00000

Sailors Venus, Moon and Chibi-Moon found themselves surrounding the daimon. The monster spewed fire in their direction from its mouth, keeping them at an arm's length. Sailor Moon was slowly becoming aggravated and showed it with an exasperated sigh. She crossed her arms as Tuxedo Kamen stepped up to her from behind.

"Looks like this battle isn't going anywhere," he mused.

"You've guessed correctly. We can't slow it down. Anything we attack it with just makes it grow stronger," Chibi-Moon told him.

Tuxedo Kamen carefully watched the daimon's every move, hiding every wince that tried to cross his face. He didn't want to appear injured in front of the others. Sailor Moon still took notice and wondered if it was from the injuries he recently suffered.

In a split second, all thoughts were erased from her mind when she felt herself being pulled forward and a ball of flame blew past her. She screamed out as it barely singed her uniform. Sailor Moon glanced up to find herself in Tuxedo Kamen's arms and gave a small smile. That soon disappeared as Tuxedo Kamen grasped her waist and jumped out of the way of another oncoming fireball.

"Any suggestions on how to slow this daimon down?" he wondered.

"We have none yet. We can't get close enough," Sailor Moon told him.

He landed several feet away and released her as Chibi-Moon and Venus landed beside them. They soon found they were joined by Pluto, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter. Sailor Moon and Mercury gave each other a hard glance.

"We can take of this on our own, Mercury," Moon called over to her.

"Look like you're doing a grand job. Just because we're having a disagreement over Sarlutous doesn't mean we can't still work together," she called back.

"We have more pressing matters at the moment. I don't want to see squabbling while I am here," Pluto told them, stepping between them.

The two kept an eye on each other, neither keeping their attention on the daimon, which was making its way towards Mercury. It began to create another fireball and released it towards the unsuspecting Senshi.

"Mercury, watch out!" Jupiter cried out.

Mercury had no time to react when she felt herself being pushed out of the way. She hit the ground hard and glanced over her shoulder only to see Tuxedo Kamen being hit by the fire.

"Tuxedo Kamen," she whispered.

"You will pay for this!" Sailor Moon cried out to the daimon.

The daimon gave a small smile before advancing again. The Senshi took defensive stances, unsure what to expect next.

TBC…


	6. Uncertainties

Tylaxin stared into the fire, mesmerized by the dancing flicker of light. Thoughts swirled through her head, wondering how she could ever see her friends again without the possibility in harming them.

"Ami, I only wish I could explain," she muttered.

She was soon broken out of her reverie by a loud crash in the distance. She glanced up to see a fireball rising into the sky from within the city.

"No!" she cried.

She took a few steps forward, pulling out her transformation stick. Tylaxin raised it into the air before she stopped herself. She lowered her arm, remembering what Pluto had told her.

"What do I do? I want to help my friends but if I do, they may get hurt," she muttered to herself.

She contemplated the situation for a few minutes in her head, debating whether or not to leave the safety of the calm forest and risk the lives of her friends. Tylaxin soon narrowed her eyes, knowing what she had to do.

00000

As Pluto helped Tuxedo Kamen to his feet, the other Senshi began to create a semi-circle around the daimon. They were all mindful of their distance, knowing they could be fried at any moment.

"So there's no way to get close to it?" Moon wondered.

"I'm not sure. I don't what it will take to slow it down," Mercury mused.

With computer in hand and visor over her eyes, she was doing some very quick calculating. Chibi-moon stepped up to her, mild anger in her eyes.

"You wait until this is all over. When I meet up with Sarlutous, she will pay and so will you," she cried.

"Yeah, like the three of you were doing fine by yourselves," Jupiter smirked.

Chibi-moon shot Jupiter a hard look when she felt herself being lifted off the ground. She looked to see who had her and anger filled her eyes.

"You let me go Sarlutous!" she protested.

Sarlutous landed and placed her on the ground. Almost immediately, Chibi-moon began to attack the older Senshi with her fists. Sarlutous was hurt by both the mental and physical attacks but she managed to keep it inside. Moon hurried over and pulled Chibi-moon away.

"As much as I like to tear her apart as well, we have other problems to deal with first," Moon told her.

"And I thought I told you to stay put!" Pluto cried at her.

Sarlutous gave her a blank stare, a sad smile barely creeping onto her face.

"I couldn't let my friends be destroyed. What's the sense to get my powers under control if the ones I swore to protect are dead?" she asked.

Pluto appeared mildly stunned as Sarlutous stepped forward. She motioned for everyone to move back before preparing for the inevitable.

"Pluto Ice Crystals Freeze!" she cried.

Shards of ice flew threw the air and embedded themselves into the daimon, which screeched. All the Senshi were in awe, never noticing their comrade fall to one knee. As the daimon's fire quickly diminished, Sailor Moon immediately took care of it. As the others turned towards Sarlutous, they began to notice what they failed to see sooner: a small chunk of ice sticking out of her hand. PLuto stepped towards her, lifting a finger towards her.

"Sarlutous, what did I tell you? You knew it was going to progressively get worse after your Saturn powers began to go out of control," Pluto told her.

"That's easy for you to say. You, Uranus and Neptune are keeping an eye out for both the Deathbusters and the real Saturn, determined to stop them both. These Senshi here protect Sailor Moon, who turns out to be royalty in both the past and future. I'm supposed to protect them and just maybe Tuxedo Kamen. But in the end, it seems all you have to do is fight. What have you got to protect Pluto?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Pluto remained quiet, before averting her eyes. She began to make her way from the scene and the others slowly followed suit. They followed the older Senshi to a nearby park, where both Tuxedo Kamen and Sarlutous leaned against either side of a tree. As the Inner Senshi gathered around them, Pluto made her way to the outskirts of the group.

"Sarlutous, why are you after my boyfriend?" Sailor Moon suddenly demanded.

"What? I'm not after Tuxedo Kamen's affection! I consider him a friend, no more than that," Sarlutous replied.

She began to pull on the ice crystal, gritting her teeth, glancing over at Chibi-moon. She knew that the youngest Senshi would have eventually told the others. Venus moved over towards Moon and Chibi-moon as Jupiter, Mars and Mercury began to step together.

"I never got the chance to tell any of you that it was a misunderstanding. She didn't do anything! In fact, I was injured protecting her!" Tuxedo Kamen told them.

"Of course you were. How do we know you're telling the truth?" Venus wondered, crossing her arms.

"Because he is. I was there when it happened since I am one of the reasons he got involved in the first place," Pluto piped up.

Everyone glanced in her direction, curiousity filling their eyes. Sailor Moon and Chibi-moon moved forward, hoping to press her for more information.

"Uranus, Neptune and I were confronting Sarlutous and Tuxedo Kamen arrived. We attacked and he jumped in the way. He chose to get involved. I wanted to get her away from the crowds because of what you see in her hand right now. Her powers have become greatly unstable and as far as I know, there's no way to stop them from spiraling further out of control. We don't have the luxury of time or space anymore," Pluto told them.

Chibi-moon was the most surprised as she ran up to her friend, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She began to shake her head, not wanting to believe what she was hearing.

"Pluto, what are you saying?" she wondered.

Pluto turned towards all of them as Moon and Mercury moved closer. Mars, Jupiter and Venus kept a watchful eye on the scene, while Tuxedo Kamen turned his gaze towards the ground.

"I'm saying that even though she _wants_ to protect you, she can't," Pluto said.

Chibi-moon glanced over at Tuxedo Kamen and hurried to his side, placing a hand on his arm. He gave a weak smile, placing his other hand over hers. Pluto watched as Sarlutous began to leave the scene. She wanted to tell the Senshi what she felt but was now unable to find her voice.

"Sarlutous, wait!" Tuxedo Kamen suddenly called out.

"You know I can't stay. Who know what will happen when I use Uranus powers?" she replied.

Everyone watched her retreat into the shadows and completely disappear. Moon and Chibi-moon glanced at each other, unsure what to do now. A small amount if mistrust still lingered within Chibi-moon, moving towards the direction Sarlutous went in. She glanced back at the others and narrowed her eyes as her stare went past all of them.

"Where's Tuxedo Kamen?" she demanded.

Everyone's attention went back to the tree he was so recently leaning against. Pluto blanched, realizing what he was doing.

"You going to get yourself killed," she muttered.

TBC…


	7. The Solution

Tylaxin sat by the lakeside, a bandage now covering her hand. She stared at it, wondering what indeed going to happen if and when she used her Uranus powers. She never heard someone walk up behind her. Only when a hand was placed on her shoulder, did Tylaxin look behind her.

"Mamaru, you should be home resting. After you've been going through to keep us together, I _should_ be protecting you," Tylaxin told him.

"That's not why I'm here and you know it," Mamaru reprimanded her.

Tylaxin's eyes filled with curiousity as she turned her head enough to stare at him. He slowly sat down next to her, trying to hide the winces that wanted to cross his face. She took notice despite his attempts.

"Listen, you know my powers are spiraling out of control. You've seen it and you know I can't go back. I just might even hurt any of the others or even you," she told him.

"I think Pluto is wrong. There's a tiny voice in my head telling me that there's _something_ out there to help you control your powers," Mamaru explained.

"I doubt it," she sighed, shaking her head.

They sat there for several moments, neither saying anything. Mamaru was unsure what else to say: the main thing he wanted to do was reassure her that everything was going to be fine.

"You really should get those wounds looked after," Tylaxin piped up.

Mamaru's attention was caught by the sudden words before deciding not to say anything. He glanced around the area, feeling almost calm with the surroundings. Mamaru gave a weak smile before his stare went back to Tylaxin.

"This is a nice place. Do you come here often?" he wondered.

"Yeah, I do. I feel a connection to this place more than what I do anywhere else. I'm unsure why. Maybe I came here often a millennium ago," she mused.

"You were on Earth a millennium ago? Weren't you raised on the Moon?" Mamaru questioned.

Tylaxin shook her head, standing up and began to pace in front of the pond. She stared at the ripples beginning to form from the slight wind that picked up. The moon was beginning to peek its way over the trees. She sighed for it was a full moon and she always enjoyed the moon at this stage.

"Not according to Setsuna. She told me that I was raised on Earth, though I have no recollection of it," she told him. "Not that any of it matters anymore: I can't go back to the city. If my Uranus powers go out of control…"

Mamaru narrowed his eyes and stood up. He stepped over to her and harshly grasped her upper arm. Tylaxin held back a grimace as she her stare went to him. He had put on a hard look that could've at least seriously hurt her if looks could do that

"Listen to me. You keep saying that your powers are going out of control and I find this is getting a little old. Probably there isn't anything than can help you but maybe there is something. I know standing here pouting about it isn't going to help anybody. As I've said before, there's something about you that I trust and I have no idea why. I'm not about to let that go anytime soon," he told her.

There was a certain seriousness in his voice that she had never heard from him before. She softened the hardness in her own eyes, carefully watching him and his every move. She weakly nodded before returning her stare back to the pond. When she didn't break her stare after several moments, Mamaru gently shook her shoulder but failed to get a response.

"Tylaxin, what's wrong?" he questioned.

When her knees buckled from underneath her, he was caught completely off guard. He managed to slow her fall with what strength he had left and eased her to the ground. The first thing Mamaru noticed was the blank stare in her eyes.

"This does not look good," he quietly said.

00000

The six younger Senshi gathered around Setsuna. They were all now located in Setsuna's apartment, hoping for an inkling of what to do next. It took the older Senshi a few minutes to look at the others. She met the gaze of all the Inner Senshi and the two cats before opening her mouth.

"As you might already know, Tylaxin's powers are going out of control. Mamaru seems to think he can help her. Despite this, he should not be around her," Setsuna told them.

"One thing still hasn't been explained to me yet. Why does it seem he has a connection with her? I mean, Chibi-usa and me are the only two he'd be the closet to," Usagi wondered.

The others nodded their heads as they carefully watched Setsuna's reactions. She shook her head, showing that there was indeed something.

"Now's not the best time to discuss that. I will tell you they do have a connection but you have nothing to worry about Usagi. I will explain further on the subject if and when the time arises," she sighed.

Ami began to pace the room and the others began to watch her. They could see the worried look that crossed her face. Ami lifted a hand up to her face and gave a sigh.

"I only wish I knew where they would be. I don't know where all her hiding spots are," Ami mentioned.

"We'll find them. If anything, she's always been a fighter," Makoto assured her.

Ami gave a small smile as her stare went to the floor. Usagi stepped over to the window and stared out at the full moon. Chibi-usa followed suit as Usagi's head perked up in interest. It had moved so quickly, they wondered what happened tha fast.

"What is it?" Rei blurted out.

"What's wrong?" Minako wondered.

"What happened?" Makoto questioned.

Usagi's eyes appeared to be filling with tears, not even bothering to turn to her friends. She was unsure how they would react to her next words. She swallowed any leftover feelings from the past few incidents and turned to the others.

"I'm certain it was Queen Serenity. I swear I heard her tell me not to worry," she finally told them.

00000

Tylaxin groaned, placing a hand on her forehead. She didn't remember closing her eyes and she certainly knew she was on solid ground the last time she checked. She opened her eyes and was awestruck by her surroundings.

She appeared to be floating with many bubbles on every side of her. Tylaxin wondered why she would be dreaming of something like this until movement on one side of her caught her attention.

"Queen…Serenity?" she questioned.

"Dear Tylaxin, you have so much exuberance yet is unable to show it. Do not worry for everything will be fine," the queen gently told her.

Tylaxin was so amazed at the sight she couldn't say anything. The queen could only smile at the reaction.

"You know what's been going on?" Tylaxin finally asked.

"Yes, I do and I know there's way to control them as well," Serenity told her.

Tylaxin's eyes widened in surprise and her jaw dropped at the news.

"H…how l…long…?" she stuttered.

"Have I known? Ever since your Senshi form was created. Not even Pluto knows about this. It seems like the g_inzuishō _knew that your powers weren't going to be easy to control so behind closed doors, it had created a way to harness the powers better. Back during the Silver Millennium, it was never needed for you had friends and family who had the time to help you when you would allow it," Serenity explained.

Tylaxin looked away, unsure how to react and the fear still lingering within her. Serenity could sense this and the air suddenly filled with a flash of light.

"My friends…I wish to know how to protect them from me," Tylaxin finally said.

The next thing Tylaxin knew, she was standing in front of the queen, an elegant dark brown dress now adorning her body. They were situated in front in the middle of the old palace from on the moon. Floating in the air before her was a rod. It was about as long as Pluto's Garter Rod, she guessed, with what looked like an arrowhead on the bottom and a heart shaped ornament on top. At each of the heart's uppermost curves, were what appeared to be horns poking towards each other. There were three different coloured crystals in the heart and she instantly recognized them.

"My planetary colours from Saturn, Uranus and Pluto," she mused.

"This is the Outer Rod and it shall help you aide Tuxedo Kamen protect the Inner Senshi," Serenity told her.

'_So I do help him,' _she thought.

She reached out for it and gently placed her fingertips around it. When it seemed that nothing was going to happen, she completely grasped it with her hand. A dim light began to pulsate in the middle crystal and Tylaxin noticed it was Uranus'.

"Do not be alarmed. It is indicating that your powers from Uranus have not gone out of control yet in this lifetime. As soon as they do, you will be able to utilize the full power of the rod," Serenity told her.

Tylaxin weakly nodded. The idea only mildly scared her now to use Uranus' powers. She looked at Queen Serenity one last time and smiled.

"Thank you," she finally said.

"Don't thank me, thank yourself. If it wasn't for your desire to protect my daughter and her court, this rod would not exist," the queen replied.

Tylaxin stared at the rod for a few more moments before glancing back to where the queen was standing. Her mouth opened in surprise once she saw the queen was gone and the next thing she knew was darkness.

TBC…


	8. Onto the Next Step

Mamaru carefully watched Tylaxin as she lay beside the tree. He managed to drag her away from the path to avoid coming along and asking questions. He wasn't prepared to take her the hospital and explain why she was in this unnatural state of unconsciousness.

"I wish I knew what's going on in your head," he muttered.

His answer soon came as a groan filled his ears. Mamaru was surprised as he glanced in Tylaxin's direction. She placed a hand over her eyes before rising to a sitting position.

"Tylaxin?" he questioned.

She looked towards him, the certainty clear in her face. Mamaru narrowed his eyes, wondering what was now going through her mind.

"What…happened?" he questioned.

"Those senses of yours were right on the nose. What happened was I got a sigh of relief. We should go find the others but first, you need to take care of yourself," she told him.

His eyes widened as she climbed to her feet. She helped him to his own and slowly began their trek back towards his apartment.

00000

The Senshi walked through the dark streets, in a search for their friends. Chibi-usa's thoughts were on Mamaru and what he had gone through in the last couple of days.

"He should have gotten his injuries checked. He should have gone home! Wait until I get my hands on her!" she cried.

Setsuna didn't say anything as they came to a clearing. Usagi stepped around, giving a sigh. Covering her eyes from the light coming from around her, she wasn't expecting to see much. They hadn't seen hide or hair of Tylaxin or Mamaru for hours.

Ami stared at the ground, her heart slowly dropping into her stomach. Rei, Minako and Makoto gazed around as Setsuna carefully lowered her Garter Rod. She turned towards Usagi with a neutral stare.

"I'm so sorry that all of you had to be brought into this mess. If only I had been around when her powers were still latent," Setsuna lamented.

Usagi's eyes widened, the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She turned her stare towards Setsuna, as if looking to her for help. The older Senshi didn't know what to tell her or any of the others.

"Listen, I don't know about any of you guys but I'm still tired. I don't think we're going to find them. At least not tonight," Makoto piped up.

The others gave a small nod in agreement. Chibi-usa carefully watched Ami and noticed that she was reluctant to give up. Ami appeared mildly upset but determined not to give up.

"You guys go home without me. I'm continuing to look for her," she finally told them.

"Ami, it's useless! I know you like Tylaxin and everything but it's late and we're all dead on our feet! Besides, she might have even left town by now!" Rei protested.

"Rei is right. We don't _know_ anything!" Makoto agreed.

Ami couldn't help but soften her features as she faced each and every one of her friends. As much as she didn't want to give up, she was slowly beginning to agree with them. She gave a small sigh before nodding her head.

"Let's go home then," she finally told them.

Ami took one last look around the area before joining her friends as they made their way home. Usagi glanced over at her longest friend out of the Senshi, hoping that Tylaxin would soon make an appearance.

00000

Mamaru silently sat in his chair, hoping for an explanation from the young Senshi. Tylaxin stepped out of the washroom, gently moving her fingers to test the bandage now resting around her hand.

"Care to explain what happened?" he questioned.

She hesitated for a moment, unsure how to proceed with what she experienced.

"I don't completely understand it myself. One moment, I was talking to you, the next thing I knew, Queen Serenity was standing beside me. She told me there is a way to control my powers; I just have to let it run its course," Tylaxin finally told him.

Mamaru managed a tiny smile with what he heard. He was glad his instincts were correct but was still nervous about what was still to come. He glanced away from her and out the window at the night sky.

"I suppose the chance for that will have to come later," he mused.

"It can take its time getting here. As much as Queen Serenity has assured me that everything's going to be fine, I'm still a bit apprehensive over the situation. I have a feeling that Setsuna is most likely going to try and stop me still," she told him.

He glanced back in her direction as she let out a yawn. Her eyes drooped slightly and she fought to keep them open.

"Get some sleep. I'm pretty sure your powers won't go too much out of control by morning," he assured her.

He attempted to give her a smile but the pain he was in prevented him from doing so. Tylaxin sighed as she shook her head.

"You better go to bed. Don't worry about me, I won't be blowing up your apartment anytime soon," she said.

He started to open his mouth to protest but the hard stare on Tylaxin's face stopped him. Mamaru made his way to his bedroom, glancing back at his friend one last time. The thoughts swirled through his mind about what the next day was going to bring.

00000

Usagi quickly ran out the door, hoping to get over to Mamaru's apartment. She was inwardly hoping to see if he had actually made it home the previous night.

'_If his injuries were serious enough that they needed to be looked at, I'll pound him one on the head,'_ she thought.

As she continued to run, she glanced down a passing street and believed she saw two familiar figures. Usagi slowed down and gasped as she thought she saw Mamaru and Tylaxin.

"Wait up!" she called out.

Usagi smiled as she ran down the street as the two figures turned around a corner. The blonde spun as she came to the edge of the building. The smile slowly disappeared as she glanced around at the crowd of people.

"Where could they have gone so fast?" she muttered.

Usagi carefully scanned the crowd, never noticing the two figures watching her from above. Tylaxin sighed as she stood up from a kneeling position.

"It's a good thing you saw her when you did. I know I don't want them to be around when the enemy shows up next," she said.

"I know that I'm just delaying the inevitable. When Usagi and Chibi-usa finally catch up with me, they're going to give me an earful," Mamaru snickered.

They began to walk away from the side of the building when they heard a scream emitting from below. The two stopped dead in their tracks and looked back from where they came. They gave each other a surprised look.

"Looks like we got half our wish," Mamaru mused.

Tylaxin rolled her eyes as she pulled out her transformation stick. It hung in her hands for a few seconds as she gave a small sigh.

"Let's get this over with then," she said.

TBC…


	9. Changing Attitudes

The daimon hovered over the young woman. She was backed against a wall and shivering from fright. Mimeto laughed as she stood nearby.

"At least those stupid Senshi aren't around to stop me this time," she muttered.

The daimon quickly grabbed the heart crystal and they began to make their way from the scene. It was abruptly stopped by a familiar figure holding a hand out.

"Stop right there!" she cried.

"Oh no, not you again! Don't you ever get tired of this?" groaned Mimeto.

Sailor Moon stepped forward, appearing prepared for just about anything. Mimeto laughed once she saw the Senshi was all by herself.

"You seem confident in yourself by arriving alone. Where are the others? Were they too afraid?" she questioned.

"None of us are afraid of you. The others simply aren't here yet," Sailor Moon retorted.

The daimon began to move towards the Senshi, who remained firm in her position. Sailor Moon brought out her scepter and prepared herself for the attack. She was caught off guard with a blast of energy from the creature's mouth. Sailor Moon barely dodged the attack. Mimeto couldn't help but laugh at the antics of the Senshi.

"Tough luck brat, you're not going to win this one! Particularly if you're by yourself!" she cried out.

Suddenly, a red rose came twirling out of thin air and hit the daimon directly in the face. It jerked its head in the direction it came from to see Tuxedo Kamen standing nearby. Sailor Moon was clearly upset as she straightened her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"Tuxedo Kamen, where the heck have you been? I was so worried about you!" she yelled at him.

"You don't have to worry about me Sailor Moon. I have no more worries. We have a daimon to deal with now," Tuxedo Kamen replied.

The daimon snarled, glancing between the two before lunging for Tuxedo Kamen. Sailor Moon was shocked to see that he didn't budge one bit when she heard a familiar voice call out.

"Pluto Ice Crystals Freeze!" the voice cried out.

The daimon now found itself pinned to the ground. It screeched out and Mimeto glanced around only to find she was dodging the attack herself.

"Watch where you're aiming that attack! It almost hit me!" Mimeto cried out.

Sarlutous jumped down and darted towards Mimeto, who barely managed to get out of her way. She growled as she stepped back a few feet.

"I swear you and the rest of your despicable people will not win this! I will not allow any harm to come to the Senshi!" Sarlutous firmly said.

Mimeto couldn't help but laugh as gave the Senshi a look over. There was nothing different about this one than any of the others they had encountered. After a couple of seconds, Sarlutous glanced over at Sailor Moon and hurried over to her.

"I'm sorry to hear that but I won't be able to comply," Mimeto smirked. "Attack them!"

A smile crept onto the daimon's face. Tuxedo Kamen carefully watched the ninja-type daimon as it slowly drew a sword from its back. Worry crossed his mind for he knew he wasn't in the best of shape with a Senshi whose powers were going out of control and another who was having a hard enough time with this daimon.

The daimon quickly jumped him and he barely managed to react in time to stop it with his cane. He could feel his power slowly leaving him. He gritted his teeth, the sweat beginning to pour down his face. Moon let out a gasp as she watched the things unfold.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon cried out.

She began to run towards him distracting Sarlutous from her concentration on Mimeto, who decided to take it as an advantage. She jumped up and landed directly beside Sailor Moon. Mimeto grabbed her around the neck as Sarlutous regained her senses. She lifted her arms to attack but was stopped when she saw the scene.

"Just one step closer and she dies!" Mimeto warned her.

"Don't listen to her Sarlutous! Don't worry about me!" Moon called over to her.

Sarlutous glanced over to Tuxedo Kamen only to be horrified by the sight. He was now being pinned against a nearby tree by the daimon. He was unconscious underneath the creature's grasp.

'_I can't help them both! Yet I have sworn to protect them both!_' the thoughts racing through her mind.

She quickly went from one to the other, trying to make a very quick decision. Her stare went back to Sailor Moon and narrowed her eyes. The blonde was promptly figuring out what her friend was planning.

"Sarlutous, you can't be serious! You could seriously hurt or even kill yourself!" Sailor Moon called out.

"I have to do this. If I don't, both of you will die and the blame will fall on me on why I didn't protect you," Sarlutous coldly replied.

She raised her arms and closed her eyes. Mimeto stepped back once, a small fear crossing her mind on what the Senshi now had planned.

"Uranus Storm Winds Blow!" Sarlutous cried.

Mimeto had to release Sailor Moon in order to cover her face with her arms. Sailor Moon dug her heels into the ground, waiting for the winds to die down. When they did, she looked up to see an amazing sight.

Sarlutous was now on her knees, cuts and scrapes covering her arms and face. A long rod hovered before her in a radiant light. A look of admiration was clearing sitting on her face as she began to reach up to grab it.

"Get out of my way!" Mimeto yelled.

She rushed towards the awe-struck Senshi, who apparently didn't realize what was happening. Mimeto almost reached her when a flash of light swung around her face. She turned around to find Sailor Moon placing her tiara back onto her forehead.

"You stay out of this! This rod has to be important and it looks powerful!" Mimeto cried out.

Sailor Moon didn't reply, glancing behind Mimeto towards Sarlutous. She smiled once she saw her friend.

"Saturn Fire Rings Encircle!" a voice cried out.

Several rings shot out and headed directly for the daimon. Sailor Moon instantly became worried and twirled around. She was confused when she saw the rings wound tightly around the daimon, who was screeching out. Mimeto and Sailor both glanced towards Sarlutous, who was holding out the rod towards them.

"Watch out for I'm back and better than ever!" she cried out.

TBC…


	10. Conflicting Feelings

"What is this?" demanded Mimeto.

She growled, balling her hands into fists. She stared at the Senshi now holding the rod out towards her and couldn't believe what was happening.

"You will not defeat us, not now, not ever," Sarlutous coldly said.

Sailor Moon stole a quick glance between the two and quickly pulled out her scepter. Mimeto glimpsed over her shoulder to see Sarlutous gradually moving closer.

"This is very irritating," Mimeto snarled at them.

Mimeto glanced between the two Senshi before darting away from them. They began to follow but Mimeto held Tuxedo Kamen with an arm around his neck.

"Get any closer, Senshi and he dies," she warned them.

Moon quietly growled as Sarlutous stepped up to her side. Holding out the rod, one of the hearts began to glow slightly. Moon noticed and grew surprised, the shock apparent on her face.

"What do you think you're doing?" she questioned.

"I'm saving his life, that's what I'm doing," Sarlutous replied.

She stared at Mimteo, concentrating, before deciding to call upon her powers again.

"Pluto Ice Crytstals Freeze!" came the attack.

Shards of ice headed directly for Mimeto. They tore at her clothes and pulled her away from Tuxedo Kamen and pinned her against a nearby tree. She struggled to no avail as Sarlutous stepped towards her and held the rod at her neck.

"You wouldn't dare!" Mimeto cried.

"How do you know I wouldn't?" questioned the Senshi.

Before she could react, the daimon screeched and momentarily distracted the Senshi. Sailor Moon pulled out the chalice and transformed further as Sarlutous kept the daimon at bay until then. Moon used her wand to take out the daimon and stared at the pure heart that remained. They looked around to find that Mimeto had fled the scene. Sarlutous inwardly reprimanded herself for not taking care of Mimeto when she had the chance.

She stepped up to Sarlutous, who had her stared aimed at the ground. Rain began to splatter onto the ground. With her eyes closed, she raised her head and allowed the droplets to fall onto her face. Sailor Moon wasn't exactly sure what to say.

"Sarlutous, I'm sorry," she finally stammered.

"Don't worry about it. I just might have done the exact same thing in your position. I almost thought for a short time that I deserved it," she replied.

"No, you didn't. Your powers were going out of control and you didn't know who else to turn to for help. Now let's get Tuxedo Kamen home and taken care of," Moon replied.

Sarlutous finally nodded and they headed towards their injured friend. Neither of them noticed a figure watching them from a distance. Sailor Pluto gave a tiny smile as she walked away from the scene.

00000

Mamaru gave a deep breath. The first thing he noticed was the pain: he ached all over. He soon felt a gentle hand on his arm.

"Wake up now. You're home," a calming voice called to him.

He slowly opened his eyes to see Usagi and Chibi-usa sitting on the bed next to him. All the other Senshi were there as well and he couldn't help but give a small laugh.

"So what did I miss?" he asked.

"Not much," Usagi replied.

His stare went to the other to find Rei, Makoto, Ami and Minako standing nearby. He was slightly worried when he couldn't see Tylaxin and they could see this.

"She's out on your balcony. With what happened recently, it shook her up a bit," Ami piped up.

Rei stepped up to the bed and placed a hand on Usagi's shoulder. The blonde glanced up and nodded, knowing what it meant. Usagi held his hand for a few more moments.

"Get some rest. You need it," she told him.

He gave a small nod before the Senshi walked out of his apartment. He had noticed that Tylaxin hadn't left yet. Mamaru slowly climbed to his feet and headed to the balcony door to see that she silently stood there with the Outer Rod in hand. She saw his movements and was mildly surprised.

"You should be in bed," Tylaxin mused.

"May I see it?" he asked.

She glanced at it before handing it over to him. He gazed over it, a smile of relief crossing his face.

"You deserve it," he congratulated her.

"Deserve what? It's because of my powers that you nearly got killed, that the Inner Senshi lost trust in me and the Outer Senshi were trying to stop me," Tylaxin explained.

The tears began to form in her eyes and she turned back around to stare at the sky.

"I'm almost wishing that I never got my powers," she stated.

"Don't say that now. Despite what's happened, you still have your mother. I'm pretty certain that things will get better," Mamaru said.

He turned around and made his way back inside. Tylaxin watched over her shoulder as he climbed back into his bed.

"I hope you're right," she muttered.

The End.

Well, there it is. I've got another story planned but I'm not sure when it's going to be put up though. Have fun, please enjoy.


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